Wine and Whine

From left to right: Tamsin Greig, Dylan Moran
and Bill Bailey

In Black Books (2000, 2002, 2004), there is no talking, no mobiles, no walkmans and...none of anything else! It's a place where the owner is always right and the customer is encouraged to leave. And, of course, they always get service with a smile.

Dylan Moran plays Benard Black, the wine guzzling owner of Black Books. He's an ill-tempered, bossy, rude Irishman and we love him for it. Bill Bailey balances him off as Manny Bianco, a kind and generous soul with a tendancy towards high stress levels. Fran Katzenjammer, their unachieving and loveless friend, played by Tamsin Greig, completes the trio. This hilarious threesome live in a shut-in world of their own filled with wine, cigarettes and shenanigans.  



The three seasons allow us to peak in on the day to day toils and troubles of these characters. Most of the storylines occur in and around the book shop, but we do get a chance to see the shops nearby and occasionally, we wander off in London. All of the seasons were filmed in front of a live studio audience. Unfortunately, this gives a kind of laugh track feel, which can be bothersome and tiring. This British sitcom offers a little something for everyone. At times, the humour will be more intellectual and at others, it'll be submerged in silly physical comedy and slapstick. 

Dylan Moran

The first season manages to make us love these delightfully unrefined characters, who suffer through some silly and compromising situations. They become a little family of friends that care for each other in their own way. Some outrageous secondary characters add a lot of panache to the stories. The second season continues this tradition. Here, Fran finds herself jobless. However, there is very little introduction to this fact and it's a little desorienting; it slightly feels as if there's a missing episode. Nonetheless, it doesn't need to be so blatantly said as it is easy to catch up. The thrid and final season offers some of my favorite episodes. This season is slightly less over the top and acquires some maturity. When we initially meet the characters, it feels like they are caricatures of themselves. Through the seasons, we get to know them better and eventually, we get a glimps at the real person inside. This could be partly attributed to the time span between the seasons.

Many special guests make memorable appearances such as Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Peter Serafinowicz. The DVDs feature commentary tracks, outakes, deleted scenes and other special tidbits. It's simply a pleasure to crack open a bottle of wine and enjoy the dynamics of these wonderful characters.

Beach Bums and Bunnies

In Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), we find ourselves amidst partying beach bums. To my mind, Beach Blanket Bingo, directed by William Asher, is where the beach party films peaked. The story itself stands up, which can't easily be said about later films, with a combination of skydiving, pop stars and mermaids. There are many great Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon moments. The relationship between Frankie and Dee Dee combines a sort of bickering old married couple vibe with a youthful competitiveness and jealousy that makes them charming.      

The social context understood, there are a few moments that made the feminist inside cringe a little. Comments about the woman's place is in the kitchen and related things pop up here and there. On the beach, it's obvious that the focus is on the sexiness of the bikini clad girls. Of course, this is done in a playful and often comical manner and the watcher has to keep in mind the period in which this film came out.  However, it makes it kind of refreshing to see Funicello in a one piece swimsuit, even if it was for contract reasons.  

Dee Dee and Frankie are also surrounded by some entertaining characters. Paul Lynde and Don Rickles are hilarious, the latter even having a stand up-esque moment in the film. Some cameo apperances from Buster Keaton allow for an entertaining running gag, litterally. Harvey Lembeck appears as the extremely ridiculous leader of the leather clad gang of villains. His slapstick seeped appearances are extremely ludicrous and in some instances, don't actually make sens. However, this gang complements the tone of the film and they are forgiven for whatever randomness they bring. As a side note, I would like to bring to the attention the creepiness of the South Dakota Slim character. I don't even know what to make of him... All of these people pull together to give us the climactic, and thoroughly silly, chase and fight scene that seem to be a token in these films.

There is a special place in my heart for 60's dancing. Perhaps it's the lack of coordination and grace needed to do this style of dance, thus making it the only dance I can aspire to master. Nevertheless, it makes for a fantastic backdrop to some great songs. Most of the songs appearing in the film are charactirised by the pop/rock sound of the time. The song performed by Donna Loren always struck me as mildy inappropriately sad for such a lighthearted film, but it is beautiful and it allows her to explore a less bouncy upbeat song like we usually see her do in these beach party films. Eric Von Zipper's rendition of I am my own ideal is the only song that has a truly traditional musical sound and Lembeck manages to stay fully anchored in his character while doing it.   

As with many such films, the DVD is unfortunately bare bones. Some versions of the film include a Funicello song that was originally cut from the film. Nonetheless, this film remains a glimpse into a  particular time in Americain pop culture in a lighthearted and playful way. Generally, I think it's marvy!

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), based on Truman Capote's novella, remains a true classic. The film, directed by Blake Edwards, very very subtly hints towards the occupation of Hepburn's character Holly Golightly. One could miss it entirely with enough naivety. It is possible that this is a result of the era in which it was made, but even more so, of the choice of actress to play her. It would definitely be a different film if Capote's choice, Marilyn Monroe, would have been given the role.

Even though Audrey Hepburn is an unlikely choice, she attributes to it a kind of innocence that makes this character appealing. Hepburn brandishes her own brand of beauty and style for which she will be forever recognized and amdired.

George Peppard, the film's leading man, is a complicated subject. He is definitely charming and good looking, but something is lacking somewhere. His performance is a little stale. However, he does have a little something; an element that retains a certain charm that maybe is not memorable, but stays interesting.

This film features one of the best parties in cinema history. It's buzzing with people meeting people meeting alcohol. There are some brilliant and eccentric moments, but mostly there are moments during which we recognize ourselves or friends of ours. This party remains a gem. 

The retrospectively embarassing inclusion of Mr. Yunioshi, the Japanese neighbor played by Mickey Rooney, is meant to be the comic relief, but makes spectators cringe a little, especially today. Understanding the social context in which this film was made, it remains offensive to the Asian population and serves as a testament to the stereotypes of the time. The DVD does however include a documentary on the Asian perspective of this character and of Asian actors in American films. It discusses notably the impact of George Takei as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek. It is very enlightening and worth watching.   

The DVD also features many documentaries that give an insight in the making of this film, Tiffany's, Hepburn's style and a mildly cheesy look into Paramount Pictures' Studio.

Through time the film remains classy, stylish and smart. A thing of beauty is a joy forever.

Beginnings

The best place to begin is the beginning. Unless of course the beginning is rather boring or completely incomprehensible. In this case, it is better to choose another starting point or reconsider if it is worth telling at all. Many have opinions on beginnings, this is, in my opinion, mine.